Improvement in illuminating advertising devices



W. A. LILLIENDAHL.

- ILLUMINATING ADVERTISING DEVICE.

No.170,444. Patented Nov.30,1875.

W75 w Q/Za/ N.PETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPNER, WASNINGTGN. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

.WILLIAM A. LILLIENDAHL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ILLUMINATING ADVERTISING DEVICES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,444, dated November 30, 1875; application filed September 21, 1872. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. LILLIEN- DAHL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Illuminating Advertising Devices, of which the following is a specification This invention is designed to enable streetlamps to be utilized for advertising purposes; and it consists in certain novel means whereby transparent panes, opaquely lettered, may be securely held in position in the lamp, and at the same time be capable of easy removal, when required, whereby the light that ordinarily is lost may be directed against the opaque lettering of the panes to prominently display the same, and whereby ready access to the panes, when desired, is afforded.

Figure 1 is a central vertical transverse section of an illuminated advertising device,

constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached view, on an enlarged scalefshowing one of the details of the invention.

A is the rectangular frame of the lower part of the lamp, formed in any appropriate manner, and provided at each side with a single pane of glass in the usual way. From the upper corners of this frame A extend obliquely upward and inward four braces, A, which sustain the fixed center-piece B, upon which is provided the perforated top 0; also, from each of the aforesaid corners of the frame A extend upward a "vertical corner-piece, D, these corner-pieces D being joined at their upper extremities by horizontal bars E, of sheet metal, turned over a central strengtheningwire. Oonstituting the bottom of the frame-work, constituted by D and E, is a ledge, 12, projecting inward from the four sides of the frame-work D E, as indicated in Fig. 1. Each of the corner-pieces is made with the cross-section shown in Fig. 3, and in each of its lateral edges is provided with a rabbet, 0. Attached to the adjacent inner portion of each side of each corner-piece are any desired n-umber of pivoted buttons, F, capable of being turned either to lap over the rabbets or to be brought wholly therefrom. Hinged at g, to each of the four lateral edges of the centerpiece B, is a flap, G, the form of which is more plainly shown in Fig. 2, and which, made preferably of sheet-tin, has its under surface provided with a high metallic or light-reflecting luster. The outer edges of these flaps rest upon the horizontal bars E, and the flaps are placed at such an angle that rays of light striking upward from a burner placed in the common position in the lower portion of the frame or part A, and striking the flaps, will be deflected downward and outward through the space between the bars E and ledge b, and, consequently, through the panes I, which are arranged in the said space, and lettered opaquely with the matter desired to be brought prominently for advertising purposes to the sight of the public. The aforesaid panes I are of such length that their ends fit into the rabbets of the corner-pieces D, and are held in place by turning the buttons F over the rabbets c, and, consequently, over the edges in the said rabbets of the panes. Moreover, the said panes of any desired number, and each of suitable width in each side of the frame-work D E, are placed one above another, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the lettered panes, being arranged as set forth, with reference to the reflecting-surfaces of the flaps, will receive a strong light to display the opaque lettering upon them also, that the flaps, being hinged to the center-piece, may be readily turned upward, to afford accessto the interior of the lamp; also that, the panes being held in place by the buttons F, any one of the panes in either side of the frame D E may be removed Without displacing the others, and that the panes of fragile glass may, in the first instance, be put in position with much greater easeand less danger of breakage than if made to slide in grooves, or a similar holding appliance. The panes of each side are supported from below by the contiguous ledge b. Any desired number of panes may be placed in any one (or all) of the four sides of the frame-work D E, so that not only may several advertisements appear in one side, but any of the advertisements may be removed without involving thenecessity of removing or destroying the others, as would be the case it several were provided on a single pane of larger size.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The reflecting-flaps G, hinged to the cen- 

